Warrior health team, medial fairs ensure are SJ Airmen deployment ready Published July 15, 2010 By Tech. Sgt. Aaron D. Geyer 4th Aerospace Medicine Squadron SEYMOUR JOHNSONAIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Deployments are a fact of life for Airmen in today's Air Force. Air Combat Command is the primary force provider of combat airpower to America's warfighting commands. As such, the 4th Fighter Wing often embodies the sharp end of the spear as its Airmen puts airpower on-target, on-time for America. When our wing deploys aircraft downrange, a massive support system of maintenance crews, personnel, equipment and other vital functions deploy with them. However, before any Airmen steps foot off Seymour Johnson, there are many important out-processing steps they must take, a large component of which involves the medical clearance process. Without exception, each Airman must be medically cleared though a complex process involving nearly every clinic within the Medical Group. The entire operation is overseen by the aptly named Warrior Health Team. The WHT is the liaison between the MDG and each unit on the installation, providing real time individual medical readiness data to commanders and Unit Deployment Managers. This vital information ensures that sound decisions are made on which members are medically ready and able to complete the mission. In conjunction with UDMs, the WHT organizes the medical mobility fairs that take place prior to each aerospace expeditionary force movement. Not to be confused with the mobility fairs that take place on or near the flight line, the medical mobility fairs occur inside the MDG. Once a schedule has been established, the Airmen who have been hard tasked to deploy will report to the clinic in shifts to complete their individual medical readiness requirements. The typical amount each member will be out of pocket during the medical mobility fair averages two hours; however, it can vary from four minutes to up to four hours depending on the amount and type of medical assessments needed. Once an Airmen reports to the clinic, they are checked in and given a specific list of medical requirements that must be completed before they leave the facility (e.g. immunizations, lab work, optometry, etc.). After running the gauntlet of immunizations, medications and briefings, Airmen will check out with the WHT. In most cases, the member will depart the facility medically ready and one very important step closer to deployment. Medical Readiness requires the teamwork of all parties involved, the deployer, the unit and the MDG. This teamwork and attention-to-detail has resulted in zero area of responsibility medical discrepancies during the past three years. No medical discrepancies translate to optimally protected warfighters in the AOR.